After some back and forth, Bathurst Regional Council approved a development application (DA) in December for additions and alterations to the two-storey pub in William Street.

READ MORE: The Oxford Hotel developer will have to pay parking contribution, Bathurst council decides

The issue that held up the DA was the number of parking spaces the premises was required to provide, 65, and the exact contribution the developer would have to pay for a shortfall of spaces.

The initial recommendation from council staff was that there was a shortfall of 12 spots and the developer would have to pay $18,961.40 per space.

In December, council resolved to grant an exemption for six spaces, leaving the developer to pay $113,768.40 for the remaining six spaces.

The owner of The Oxford Hotel, Ash Lyons, later requested council to consider a modification of development consent, proposing some minor changes to the plans themselves and further consideration of the issues surrounding parking.

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Mr Lyons appealed to council during public forum on Wednesday night, expressing concern over when the parking contributions need to be paid.

This is because the amended plans might be able to provide additional compliant car parking spaces on site, reducing the shortfall.

"We're not arguing the fact of parking contributions, we're not arguing that fact at all of around $18,000 per spot, we're not arguing the fact of 59 spots," Mr Lyons said.

"What we're saying is to take a common sense approach, which is that we agree that the number council wanted to hit was 59 and construction can start, we're issued with a CC (construction certificate), and any shortfall at the end of that construction period, whatever the shortfall of 59 spots, if there is a shortfall, that a parking contribution must be paid for those shortfall amounts."

At the meeting, council's director of Environmental, Planning and Building Services said council staff and Mr Lyons had interpreted council's last resolution differently.

However, he assisted councillors to come up with an alternate motion to help the development progress.

Council resolved to grant consent for the modification by approving the amended plans and deferring consideration of car parking space contributions, noting that payment of the development contributions may be deferred until the issue of any occupation certificate.

A further report will be developed to determine the number of spaces and contribution payable.

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